Connector for conductors



April 30, 1963 D. .1. CRIMMINS 3,088,086

CONNECTOR FOR CONDUCTORS Filed Sept. 22, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENTOR. -72 CA In M nvr y m mmz ATTORNEY D. J. CRIMMINS CONNECTOR FORCONDUCTORS April 30, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 22, 1960INVENTOR. ,2 4 (/1 m1 M uvs' ATTORNEY April 3 3 D. J. CRIMMINS 3,088,036

CONNECTOR FOR CONDUCTORS Filed Sept. 22, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 I F I G.8

11 u MN "MW M INVENTOR. 17 4 m Mnvs BY g ATTORNEY United States Patent3,088,086 CONNECTOR FOR CONDUCTORS David J Crimmins, Nutley, NJ assignorto The Thomas & Betts Co., Elizabeth, N.J., a corporation of New JerseyFiled Sept. 22, 1960, Ser. No. 57,647 4 Claims. (Cl. 339-17) Thisinvention relates to a device for connection of a first conductor suchas a flat cable conductor .to a panel board or other socket for rapidand easy connection with and disconnection from second conductors.

The invention thus enables the selective connection of an individual orone of a pluralty of fiat conductors, for example, carried by aconductor tape, to selected conductors connected to sockets, forexample, to thereby selectively connect and disconnect and vary circuitsin a rapid, accurate and convenient manner.

The invention includes novel features of construction, below moreparticularly described, and exemplified in the accompanying drawings,forming part hereof and wherein similar reference characters indicatelike parts:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a device embodying the invention showinga series of first conductors to which it may readily be secured,

FIG. 2 is a similar view, showing the connector engaging a firstconductor,

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of the connector shown insertedin the socket of a base board, for connection of a second connectortherewith,

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of a baseboard having connectedthereto second conductors to which the connector of this invention maybe selectively connected,

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of another form of connectorembodying the invention, shown apart from first conductor,

FIG. 6 is a similar view showing said connector secured to one of thefirst conductors,

FIG. 7 is a side elevational, partly sectional view thereof,

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view of a baseboard socket showing aconnector of the FIG. 5 form inserted therein,

FIG. 9 is a partly fragmentary perspective view of another form ofconnector embodying the invention,

FIG. 10 is a side elevational view thereof, shown connected,

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary sectional view of another form of connectorembodying the invention, and

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary perspective view of a further form thereof.

The connector of this invention, generally designated by referencecharacter 10 (FIG. 1), comprises a body portion 11 which may, forexample, be of a length of metal or other conducting material formed(FIGS. 1, 5, 7) folded at one end 14 and thus tensioned, to definelongitudinal portions 12, 13 disposed in overlying parallel relation andtending to press together so that the free ends 15 (FIG. 1) of said bodyportions 12 and 13 will close under tension. The folded or closed end 14of the connector may be a unitary end as shown at 16 in FIG. 1 or asshown in FIG. 12, the longitudinal portions 12 and 13 of the connectormay be formed of separate strips joined at one end by rivet or othermeans 17. It will be noted that the longitudinal portions 12, 13 of theconnector in the various forms of the invention shown in the drawingsand described herein, are disposed in overlying parallel relation, thefixed end 16 being adapted for insertion into a socket such as shown at20 (FIG. 3), or 20' FIG. 8. The second conductor 21 is connected to thesocket 20 friction- 3,088,086 Patented Apr. 30, 1963 ally or otherwise,so that upon insertion of the connector 10 into the socket (FIG. 3)instantaneous connection between the thus selected first and secondconductors 22, 21 may be effected.

Thus the invention may be used, for example, for selection of theparticular one of a series of first conductors 22 (FIG. 1) in aconductor tape 23 to that particular one of a series of secondconductors 21 (FIG. 4) in a baseboard or terminal block 24 desired forclosing a circuit and for disconnection and alteration of theconnections as desired. To that end, the baseboards may have indicia 25(FIG. 4) to identify the particular Wires 21 so that selectiveconnection of the desired first conductors 22 therewith may be thuseffectively made.

The connector 10 may have cam element 26, 27 on the longitudinalportions 12, 13 thereof (FIG. 1). Said cam elements may be taperedtoward the closed end 16. A slide member 28 is provided (FIG. 1)comprising a block having an aperture 29 therein to freely receive thelongitudinal portions 12, 13 of the connector; thus the slide member 28may be readily moved by the user onto the cam element 26, 27. Means areprovided on the slide member 28, such as complementarily taperedportions 30, 31 to engage earns 26, 27 (FIG. 7) and thus tightly closeand clamp the longitudinal portions 12, 13 at their free ends 15. Afirst conductor may thus be inserted between the free ends of theconnector device and securely held therein (FIGS. 2 and 10). Referringto FIG. 1, cam elements 26, 27 may comprise ribs formed on thelongitudinal portions 12, 13 of the connector 10 at right angles totheir planar faces and tapering away from the free end 15; said ribs maybe U-shaped in cross section (FIG. 1) at right angles to theirlongitudinal axes. The longitudinal portions 12, 13 of connector 10 maybe bowed or otherwise displaced as indicated at 32 in FIG. 5 adjacentthe closed end 16 so that (FIG. 8) said bowed portion 32 may befrictionally compressed on insertion into the socket 20' in baseboard24.

The longitudinal portions 12, 13 may be displaced at their free ends 15as noted at 33, 34 in FIG. 1, to define lips for frictional engagementwith the tapered end of the tape 23 (FIG. 2) from which the firstconductors extend; the lips may be formed as noted at 43, 44 (FIG. 9)for gripping (FIG. 10) the top and bottom edges of the end of the tape23. Slide member 28 may be molded or stamped or otherwise formedunitarily as in FIG. 7 or, as in FIG. 11, of two or more pieces-part 40being the internally apertured tapered part, may be a metal or otherring fixed to part 28'.

This invention provides termination to flat conductor cable which issuperior as the flat surfaces of said conductors are thus pressedtogether without damage to the very thin conductors. The taperedportions of the cam elements 26, 27 and collar or slide member 28 areformed to wedge and be self holding when (FIG. 10) assembled. To thatend the angles of the tapered portions of the cams and the taperedopening of the slide member may vary to the desired degree-5 or less,for example, if so desired (or of an order higher than 5 if desired).

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a flexible tape conductor comprising a pluralityof thin, fiat conductor elements imbedded in a thin insulating strip,the ends of said elements extending outwardly of said strip; theimprovement comprising a plug prong extension for removably connectingany of said individual conductor elements to a terminal block, said plugprong extension comprising a body portion of sheet metal folded mediallyproviding a pair of elongated longitudinal portions normally disposed intensioned, contacting parallel relation, cam elements formed on at leastone of said longitudinal portions adjacent the free end thereof, a slidemember of a length substantially less than that of the longitudinalportions freely receiving said portions therethrough and manuallymovable thereon toward the cam elements, means on the slide membercomplementarily formed for engagement with the cam elements to presssaid longitudinal portions togther, so that a conductor element may beinserted between the free ends of the longitudinal portions and be heldfirmly therein on engagement of the cam elements of the connector onmanual movement of the slide member against the cammembers, said foldedend of said body portion defining a plug head adapted for insertion intoa terminal block.

2. In a plug prong extension for flexible tape conductors as set forthin claim 1, said cam elements on said longitudinal portions comprisingtapered elements extending at right angles marginally of thelongitudinal portions and tapering toward their folded end.

3. In a plug prong extension for flexible tape conductorsas set forth inclaim 1, said longitudinal portions being displaced from each otheradjacent their folded end to provide oppositely bowed projections sothat said plug head may be inserted into and compressed frictionally ina terminal block.

4. In a plug prong extension for flexible tape conductors as set forthin claim 1, the free ends of said longitudinal portions being displacedangularly outwardly with respect to each other to provide a shoulder forabutment against said insulating strip.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS411,153 Laiferty Sept. 17, 1889 1,008,018 Cunningham Nov. 7, 19111,689,889 Nunes Oct. 30, 1928 2,004,695 Hager June 11, 1935 2,291,458Field July 28, 1942 2,781,212 Jugle Feb. 12, 1957 2,825,036 SorensenFeb. 25, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 358,934 France Jan. 6, 1906 1,169,034France Sept. 8, 1958 748,811 Great Britain May 9, 1956 25 ing Posts,page 3, June 1958.

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A FLEXIBLE TAPE CONDUCTOR COMPRISING A PLURALITYOF THIN, FLAT CONDUCTOR ELEMENTS IMBEDDED IN A THIN INSULATING STRIP,THE ENDS OF SAID ELEMENTS EXTENDING OUTWARDLY OF SAID STRIP; THEIMPROVEMENT COMPRISING A PLUG PRONG EXTENSION FOR REMOVABLY CONNECTINGANY OF SAID INDIVIDUAL CONDUCTOR ELEMENTS TO A TERMINAL BLOCK, SAID PLUGPRONG EXTENSION COMPRISING A BODY PORTION OF SHEET METAL FOLDED MEDIALLYPROVIDING A PAIR OF ELONGATED LONGITUDINAL PORTIONS NORMALLY DISPOSED INTENSIONED, CONTACTING PARALLEL RELATION, CAM ELEMENTS FORMED ON AT LEASTONE OF SAID LONGITUDINAL PORTIONS ADJACENT THE FREE END THEREOF, A SLIDEMEMBER OF A LENGTH SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN THAT OF THE LONGITUDINALPORTIONS FREELY RECEIVING SAID PORTIONS THERETHROUGH AND MANUALLYMOVABLE THEREON TOWARD THE CAM ELEMENTS, MEANS ON THE SLIDE MEMBERCOMPLEMENTARILY FORMED FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH THE CAM ELEMENTS TO PRESSSAID LONGITUDINAL PORTIONS TOGETHER, SO THAT A CONDUCTOR ELEMENT MAY BEINSERTED BETWEEN THE FREE ENDS OF THE LONGITUDINAL PORTIONS AND BE HELDFIRMLY THEREIN ON ENGAGEMENT OF THE CAM ELEMENTS OF THE CONNECTOR ONMANUAL MOVEMENT OF THE SLIDE MEMBER AGAINST THE CAM MEMBERS, SAID FOLDEDEND OF SAID BODY PORTION DEFINING A PLUG HEAD ADAPTED FOR INSERTION INTOA TERMINAL BLOCK.